May 2014 Archives

Physical examination is becoming a lost art and used less and less as technology driven medicine replaces clinical assessment. A recent article in the Washington Post highlighted the waning ability of doctors to use physical examination to make an accurate diagnosis. Over the past few decades, the physical diagnosis skills of physicians has decreased while the use of a dizzying array of sophisticated expensive tests has increased dramatically. Many healthcare organizations downplay the physical exam and think it superfluous compared to medical testing. Often, however, when technology is used without bedside skills, it takes the physician down a path where tests cause more tests to be ordered and, at the end after all the delay, the patient either sees a surgeon, a lawyer or an undertaker.

By Armand Leone of Britcher Leone, LLC posted in Lung Cancer on Monday, May 19, 2014.

CT Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines could detect 54,900 more lung cancer cases during a 5 year period if covered by Medicare. Most cancers would be diagnosed at an earlier more treatable stage. In fact, the number of early stage cancer diagnoses would double from 15% to 33%, while the number of patients diagnosed with advanced cancers would decrease from 57% to 40%. Seventeen percent (17%) fewer patients died from lung cancer in the screening group compared with the non-screening group. Medscape Medical News reported thatJoshua A. Roth, PhD, MHA told attendees at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology of these cost estimates. However, Medicare has yet to decide whether or not to cover the new screening guidelines from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)

On behalf of Drew Britcher of Britcher Leone, LLC posted in Medical Malpractice on Tuesday, May 6, 2014.

Before E. Drew Britcher began leading the trial practice of Glen Rock's Britcher, Leone & Roth, LLC, he needed to learn how to effectively represent his clients' interests. However, it did not take this talented attorney long to achieve victory in the courtroom.